Casseroles and other comfort foods

In this hearty vegan and gluten-free lasagna I used a mixture of shiitake and white button mushrooms, fresh rosemary and tarragon, swiss chard, homemade sauce (so easy!!!), tofu “cheese”, and squash. The flavor and texture are excellent, everything you’d want from a meal on a cold winter day. more→

A twist on a classic Italian meal features baked eggplant slices stacked with cashew ricotta, balsamic infused baby spinach and your favorite marinara sauce. Just add a colorful salad and fresh whole grain bread (or a simple pasta or grain dish) for a fantastic meal. Make sure to start soaking the cashews and pine nuts for the “ricotta” well ahead of time. Contributed by Jennifer Strohmeyer, from Virtually Vegan Mama. more→

This basic vegan macaroni and cheese is rich and comforting. Using pureed silken tofu as a base makes it super easy. For an even healthier sauce, try our Almost-Raw Cheez Sauce,based on baby carrots, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and other nutrient-dense ingredients. Boost the nutrition of this comfort food meal by serving with plenty of fresh veggies — this goes well with simply prepared broccoli or kale — and a colorful salad or platter of fresh cut vegetables with dip. more→

Baked risotto, a creamy-textured rice dish, takes a bit more than an hour start to finish, but making it takes very little hands-on time. While it bakes, you just need to stir it every 15 minutes or so, instead of the traditional stovetop method of stirring practically constantly for quite some time. Arborio rice (available in the rice section of supermarkets and Italian groceries) isn’t a whole-grain rice, so it’s good to bolster this with lots of veggie additions, as suggested below the recipe. Adapted from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook.more→

Here’s one of my earliest comfort food favorites, a casserole-like dish of mashed potatoes and melted cheese, now veganized, from Vegetariana. With Daiya or Follow Your Heart vegan cheeses, it’s just as good as any dairy version. more→

A dairy- and tomato-free lasagna, this one featuring butternut squash and mixed mushrooms is offbeat, for sure, but really delicious. Featuring a creamy tofu sauce, it’s a luscious dish great for special occasion fall meals. It also makes a terrific vegan main dish for Thanksgiving dinner. more→